Up till a decade ago, people sought transgression under cover of darkness and frequented discos in their pursuit of ecstasy amid psychedelic lights and sounds. Today, nightlife and the places chosen for its enjoyment are undergoing a radical change.

“The real revolution in Italy started when the law prohibiting smoking in public establishments was passed in January 2005. Before then, lighting technology had exploited the passive smoke barrier to create atmosphere, whereas now it’s as if the light had been switched on to reveal everything that was previously shrouded in semi-darkness: armchairs, lamps, the colour of walls and tables.” Beppe Riboli – one of the best-known designers of Italian nightlife – explains that what was can no longer be. He describes how design has hit nightclubs and transformed them into immense, perfect showcases that have opened up an extensive field of investigation. “The architect’s main job is to innovate and to create imaginative places by manipulating space and studying the logistics of an interior, but also by choosing the right kind of glasses for serving drinks, in a blend of creativity and technology. Will I succeed in creating something really riveting?” This is the first question that Riboli asks himself when starting a project. He is convinced that discos, too, as with the economic trend of products in general, have to amaze if they are to stand out from the mounting competition. The attractive club with its vast lounges is not the only side of nightlife. There are also other places that aren’t particularly bothered about material aspects and attach more importance to getting the music and the atmosphere right. To make discos spectacular, some concentrate on animation, as at the Privilege in Ibiza: a huge hangar, the world’s biggest discotheque, complete with acrobats, jugglers and similarly eye-catching forms of entertainment.

But then there are the simpler types of club, with no podium dancers, no table reservations. The important thing is for customers to enjoy themselves, even simply in a “garage”, where people are not interested in fashion but do care about the originality of their clothes. Not everyone in this nocturnal world thinks that the “architecture factor” is what makes clubs distinctive. Some, like Sergio Tavelli of Milan’s Plastic club, think it is a blunt weapon. “We’ve been open 27 years, and our customers come here for the good music; we keep a constant eye on the avant-garde scene, so we know how to pick up on the trends and to be the first to interpret them.” This little disco, located on the Milan orbital, certainly offers no designer furniture: the few objects to be found there were picked up at street markets, and Sergio himself upholstered the armchairs by hand. And yet, when you go in you feel the magic in the simplicity of its walls, an impalpable sensation that reflects the family atmosphere created by its owners. “Architects are too concerned with things like the effect of light on a column, which is fine but of no interest to us,” continues Tavelli. “All discos offer the same ascetic atmospheres.” Riboli agrees: “This widespread uniformity and prevailing style are symptomatic of poor creativity and badly researched design.” The necessity for renewal is a reality, and the failure of design to get discos right has led many to make their own alternative arrangements. It all starts with an exchange of emails. Drinks are bought at the supermarket and the rendezvous is fixed in a piazza for example. This Bottelon phenomenon, which started in Spain but is now also popular in Italy, has led thousands to dance to the rhythm of djembes and guitars against a rediscovered background of streets and public spaces. What does seem vital to nocturnal ecstasy is that bodies come into contact with other bodies.